Fed up with mice pilfering their grain, farmers in the ancient Middle East turn to a new ally. In early modern Essex, a witch’s familiar is blamed for the murder of her husband. The world’s first cat lady is found living in Victorian London. And a diplomatic mission to Egypt goes awry after the death of a sacred feline… A Noiser production, written by Roger Morris. For ad-free listening, exclusive content and early access to new episodes, join Noiser+. Click the Noiser+ banner to get started with a 7-day free trial. Or, if you’re on Spotify or Android, go to noiser.com/subscriptions Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
We're in the Nile Delta of Egypt, around 60 BC.
A man is running as fast as he can in sandals through a maze of narrow streets above his head.
Linen awnings suspended between the simple mud brick houses provide much needed shade.
But the man needs protection from more than just the fierce sun.
He's dressed in a toga, which marks him out as a Roman.
An upper class Roman, no less.
He's part of a delegation in Egypt to negotiate a treaty of friendship with the current pharaoh, Ptolemy xii, the father of Cleopatra.
Only the diplomatic mission has just gone badly off the rails.
And it's all this man's fault.
He's made a terrible mistake.
He killed a cat.
If he'd done this in Rome, no one would have batted an eyelid.
But this is Egypt.
Not only that, it's Bubastis.
A city dedicated to the cat headed Egyptian goddess, Bastet.
Cats are sacred here.
Perhaps the Roman diplomat could be forgiven for his mistake.
He didn't know it was illegal to kill a cat, but try telling that to the angry mob chasing him.
The man makes it inside the grand house where the Roman diplomatic mission is staying.
He bolts the door and prays to Sallusthe, Roman goddess of security, to protect him.